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A20
world
Guardian www.guardian.co.tt Thursday, December 26, 2013
VATICAN CITY---In his
speech on Christmas
Day, Pope Francis said
he hopes for a better
world, including suc-
cessful Middle East
negotiations in the land
of Jesus birth, peace for
Syria and several war-
torn African countries,
and dignity for refugees
fleeing misery and con-
flict.
Francis spoke from the
central balcony of St Peter s
Basilica to some 70,000
cheering tourists, pilgrims
and Romans in the square
below. He said he was join-
ing all those hoping "for a
better world."
Among places ravaged by
conflict, Francis singled out
Syria, which saw its third
Christmas during civil war,
South Sudan, the Central
African Republic, Nigeria
and Iraq.
The pope prayed that
Jesus, the "prince of peace,"
would "bless the land where
you chose to come into the
world and grant a favourable
outcome to the peace talks
between Israelis and Pales-
tinians. Heal the wounds of
the beloved country of Iraq,
once more struck by fre-
quent acts of violence."
Francis then explained
his concept of peace.
With a reference to
attacks on Christians in
Africa and parts of the Mid-
dle East, Francis prayed that
God "protect all who are
persecuted in your name."
Recalling the hundreds
of migrants who drowned
trying to reach European
shores, Francis also prayed
that refugees receive hope,
consolation and assistance.
In the Mideast, pilgrims
celebrated Christmas Day
in the ancient Bethlehem
church where tradition
holds Jesus was born, as
candles illuminated the
sacred site and the joyous
sound of prayer filled its
overflowing halls.
This year s turnout has
been the largest in years in
Bethlehem, and the cele-
brations have been marked
by careful optimism amid
ongoing Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks. Leaders
expressed hope that the
coming year would finally
bring the Palestinians an
independent state of their
own.
The top Roman Catholic
cleric in the Holy Land,
Latin Patriarch Fouad Twal,
led a prayer for some 1,000
worshippers as bells rang
and tourists from around
the world flocked to the
fourth-century Church of
the Nativity complex to see
the grotto that is Jesus tra-
ditional birthplace.
"The whole world now
is looking at Bethlehem, the
birthplace of Jesus," Twal
Pope Francis
delivers his "Urbi
et Orbi" (to the
City and to the
World) message
from the central
balcony of St
Peter's Basilica
at the Vatican,
yesterday.
AP PHOTO
said in his annual address.
"The Holy Land is where Jesus
was born in the grotto and we
have to reflect this bright pic-
ture of Jesus by representing
the morals of Jesus, the mes-
sage of Jesus---the message of
love and reconciliation."
Bethlehem lies 10 kilometres
(6 miles) south of Jerusalem.
Entry to the city is controlled
by Israel, which occupied the
West Bank in 1967.
Following a Palestinian
uprising that began in 2000,
the numbers of visitors to
Bethlehem had plunged,
including for Christmas.
But thanks to a period of
relative calm, they have been
steadily climbing in recent
years---and while still below
the record levels of the 1990s,
got an extra push this year fol-
lowing the resumption of
Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
(AP)
Pope prays for peace in Middle East